Today’s “Fab 5″+1 / Selected NYCity Events – MONDAY, FEB. 23, 2015
“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to. We make it as easy as 1-2-3.”

NYC Restaurant Week— Food & Drink

Carmen / Metropolitan Opera — Opera (7:30pm)

‘Commedia Dell’Artichoke’— Theater (9:30pm)

Booker T & Friends— Soul Music (8pm)

The Story Behind the Invention of Monopoly— SmartStuff/ Lecture (6:30pm)

TEDxBroadway — SmartStuff/ Seminars and Discussion (10:30am)

For other useful and curated NYCity event info for Manhattan’s WestSide:

♦ “9 Notable Events-Feb.”, and “Top10 Free” in the header above.
♦ For NYCity trip planning see links in “Resources” and “Smart Stuff” in the header above.
♦ For NYCity Sights, Sounds and Stories visit out our sister site: nyc123blog.wordpress.com

The extensive number of interesting actvities happening every day in NYCity makes this town very special and unique. I hope this site encourages and assists you to take advantage of all that NYCity has to offer. GregD
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NYC Restaurant Week(through Mar. 6)
The semi-annual dining extravaganza is back (actually it started last Monday), with more than 300 area restaurants offering three courses for lunch at $25 and dinner at $38. Here are some suggestions to get you started on some fine dining:

The top 10 restaurants for NYC Restaurant Week Winter 2015
“With all of those choices, where do you start? We’ve nailed down 10 must-try restaurants, including nouveau Italian numbers, a Chinatown update and a Southern-comfort joint offering some of the best fried chicken in the city.” (TONY)

“20 Restaurant Week Reservations to Make Right Now” (Zagat)
For more information, a complete list of restaurants, and to make reservations: nycgo.com

‘Commedia Dell’Artichoke’ (also Tuesday)
“Two actors, Carter Gill and Tommy Russell, perform in a modern twist on the Italian tradition of commedia dell’arte. Together, they create characters who live and work in a New York pizza shop.” (NYT)

“The strangely perfect combo of commedia dell’arte theater and gourmet pizza.” – Flavorpill // “It’s very rare that in the opening few moments of a show you find references to Led Zeppelin, racial unrest, immigration issues and pizza.” – New York Theatre Review
Frances Black projects call themselves producers of small, spirited and unconventional theatrical experiences.Artichoke Basille’s Pizza, 114 10th Ave., at 17th St., Chelsea,
At 9:30 p.m./ $30 admission includes a slice of pizza and a drink
203-889-8883 / francesblackprojects.com.

Booker T & Friends W/ Bhi Bhiman
It can be argued that it was Booker T. Jones who set the cast for modern soul music and is largely responsible for its rise and enduring popularity. On classic Stax hits like “Green Onions,” “Hang ‘Em High,” “Time Is Tight,” and “Melting Pot” the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Musicians Hall of Fame inductee and GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award recipient pushed the music’s boundaries, refined it to its essence and then injected it into the nation’s bloodstream.

Author @ the Library:The story behind the invention of Monopoly
The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World’s Favorite Board Game, with Mary Pilon, an award-winning staff reporter at “The New York Times,” where she currently covers sports.

This illustrated lecture reveals the unknown story of how Monopoly came into existence, the reinvention of its history by Parker Brothers and multiple media outlets, the lost female originator of the game, and one man’s lifelong obsession to tell the true story about the game’s questionable origins.Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 5th Ave @ 40th St.
6:30 p.m. / FREE

TEDxBroadway
“Can’t get enough of TED Talks? The fourth annual TEDxBroadway event features 17 of the best artists and creatives in the biz, including Kevin Lyman (producer of Vans Warped Tour), Osh Ghanimah (actor and founder/CEO of Broadway for All) and @BroadwayGirlNYC (one of the top-followed theater accounts), who will definitely tweet live throughout the evening.” (TONY)New World Stages, 340 W 50th St. (btw Eighth and Ninth Aves)
10:30AM / $100

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♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity (pop. 8.4 million) had a record 56 million visitors last year and quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
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A PremierPub / Tribeca

B-Flat/ 277 Church St. (btw Franklin/White St))

There are some places that are tough to find, then add a layer of mystery when you do find them. B-Flat has a nondescript, almost unmarked door at street level – today’s speakeasy vibe. Open this door and you face a dimly lit stairway down to their basement location. It almost takes a leap of faith to follow the stairs down to their interior door.

But open that door and a pleasant surprise awaits you.

It’s a basement jazz spot all right, but not like any traditional jazz joint you may have been to before. This place looks as fresh as today, probably because it’s only been open for 6 years. Even though it hasn’t had a chance to age gracefully, the cherry wood accents and low lighting make this small space very inviting.

There is always jazz, often progressive jazz, playing over their very discrete, stylish bose speakers, setting just the right tone as you find a seat at the bar, or one of the small tables. There is wine and beer available, but this place has some expert mixologists making some very creative cocktails, which I’m told change seasonally, a nice touch.

Come at happy hour and tasty cocktails like the el Diablo or the lychee martini are $8 – not bad. I am a sucker for any drink made with lychee and how can you not try a tequila drink named el Diablo. There is also nice selection of small bites available at happy hour and a food menu that is as innovative as the cocktail menu, so this does not have to be a happy hour only stop.

It wasn’t surprising to find a tasty prosciutto and arugula salad with yuzu dressing, but I did not expect to find such a good version of fried chicken breast on the apps menu. Here it’s called “Tatsuta.” Best bet is to sample happy hour, then dinner on a Monday or Wednesday night, when you can finish with no cover live jazz that starts around 8.

This place is tough to find (look for a small slate sandwich board on the sidewalk out front advertising happy hour) and on some nights when there is no live music it may be a little too quiet for some. But I think it’s worth searching out if you want a place with good music, food, and especially drinks, away from the maddening crowd.

===========================================================================================“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.===========================================================================================